Making Yuletide Bright
by hardly loquacious
Summary: Jane plans to keep this first Christmas back in the U.S. relatively low-key. Until Lisbon surprises him with an unexpected gift. Christmas fluff based on the new direction the show is going. Enjoy!


A/N: So, someone left an anonymous review the other day on one of my older Christmas stories. They made a comment wondering whether there would be one this year. I hadn't planned to write one, but I've written one every other year (I think), and I found I didn't want to break with tradition. Plus, I'm mildly curious about the new format of the show. So, even though the past few weeks have been a zoo, I decided to write a oneshot. I'm not 100% happy with it, but it's as good as it's going to get. I hope you enjoy!

And Merry Christmas!

xxx

Making Yuletide Bright

xxx

Jane was trying to break in his new couch (so far with limited success).

He knew he should probably be grateful that he'd found a couch at all. It was almost shocking to find a piece of furniture that had actually been designed for comfort in among all the rest of the high tech, sleek looking FBI equipment. The couch _was_ black, of course, and the cushions were ridiculously stiff, but at least it was long enough fo him to lie down on. Jane wasn't sure how the couch had ended up tucked into a long forgotten corner of the FBI offices, but he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Besides, it would hopefully get more comfortable the more time he spent lying on it (it certainly couldn't get less so). And it was better than a desk.

Even so, and foolish as it was, he missed Elvis.

Ah well, one office building was much the same as another, really.

The offices were relatively quiet this week (not that the FBI Agents usually milling around disturbed Jane all that frequently – mostly they left him well enough alone). It seemed even the Feds went down to a skeleton staff this close to the holidays. Cho had left a couple of days prior to fly back to California and visit some old friends and Lisbon was apparently planning on flying out obscenely early tomorrow morning. Jane knew she was in the building somewhere. He'd seen her talking to Fisher earlier.

And that may have been the other reason he was breaking in his couch.

He wouldn't have minded wishing Lisbon a Merry Christmas before she left.

He'd probably call her on Christmas day as well, of course (he could do that now), but it wasn't the same. Not the same as wishing it to her in person.

Jane was vaguely disappointed she wouldn't be around over the holidays, though he'd been careful not to let her see it. Lisbon deserved to celebrate with her family.

Jane supposed he actually had a lot of things to celebrate this year himself. His life had something of a purpose again. He was back in the United States. He could see his friends. He had his partner back. Not everyone was speaking Spanish. No one tried to put epaulettes on his clothing.

It was the little things, really.

Which is why he was why he was almost looking forward to spending a quiet Christmas in a city that, even if it didn't quite feel like home, was starting to feel almost comfortable.

_Almost._

Not that the FBI would ever let him get to far away anyways.

He smiled as he heard familiar footsteps approaching. "I thought you were still around," he murmured, opening his eyes.

Lisbon perched on the couch next to him. "_I_ wasn't going to leave without saying goodbye."

Jane winced internally, the unspoken rebuke flashing in her eyes. Her hurt was fading more with each passing month, but Jane knew it would be quite some time before he was ever completely forgiven for abandoning her as he'd done. If he ever truly was. "I know you weren't," he assured her quietly, reaching over to brush is fingers against her wrist in silent apology for past transgressions.

The gesture made her smile.

Jane felt himself smiling back. "How was the meeting with our Agent Fisher?"

Lisbon sighed, looking quite annoyed. "Funny you should mention that…"

Jane frowned. Surely the FBI Agent hadn't actually found work to be done the day before Christmas vacations. "What?"

Lisbon stood. "I could use a favour, if you've got the time. It won't take long."

Jane found himself irritated. She had. Fisher had assigned Lisbon a task of some kind. Probably couched it as voluntary, like that would make any difference to someone like Lisbon. Well, at least he could help her finish it quickly so she could get out of here tomorrow. He stood up as well. "For you, I've got all the time in the world."

Lisbon smirked. "For anyone, you've got all the time in the world."

Jane's eyes twinkled. "But I don't always choose to give it to them."

Lisbon ducked her head, shaking her head slightly in amusement.

Jane realized he was grinning as he fell in step beside her. "So what's up?"

"I'll explain in the car," was all Lisbon said.

Jane shrugged. He could wait. After all, he found he didn't mind the prospect of an unexpected field trip with Lisbon.

After two years away, he'd realized they weren't a pleasure to be taken for granted.

xxx

Jane was surprised when, upon getting into the car, instead of immediately telling him where they were going, his practical Lisbon turned the conversation to his holiday plans. He didn't have any, but he tried not to phrase it better than that. Jane didn't start to become suspicious until about ten minutes later, when he realized she _still_ hadn't told him. And she seemed to be driving in an unexpected direction.

"Lisbon?" he asked.

"Hm?"

The way her hands tightened slightly on the steering wheel didn't escape his notice. "Where are we going?"

He watched her shoulders stiffen and her chin raise a fraction of an inch. Jane knew the expression well (he ignored the wave of affection seeing it produced). Wherever they were going, whatever her plans were, she'd decided he was going along with them. The hell with his opinion. Jane wasn't necessarily opposed to her plan; he was more curious as to the answer to his question.

It wasn't one he'd been expecting.

"We're going to the airport," Lisbon said calmly. Jane would have believed she was calm too, if her hands still clenched around the steering wheel hadn't given her away.

Jane just stared at her. "A lovely idea, Teresa, but I've already fled the country once. I'm not sure the FBI would appreciate it if I tried it a second time."

That earned him the expected glare. _"We're not fleeing the country!"_

"Glad to hear it," Jane told her. "After all the trouble I went to to be allowed back in. But I thought your flight wasn't until tomorrow morning. If you needed someone to drive you to the airport, you could have just…"

"I didn't, _don't_ need someone to drive me to the airport," Lisbon told him. "And I lied about my flight. My flight, well, _our_ flight leaves in a few hours."

Jane just stared at her, so surprised by the turn of events that his brain barely registered that she'd lied to him. "And where, may I ask, are we going?"

Lisbon kept her eyes firmly facing forward. "You know the answer to that."

He rather suspected he did. "You said Tommy and Annie moved to Washington?" he said, trying ignore his suddenly skittish heartbeat.

"One of the reasons I chose it," she muttered.

"I know," he replied softly. Then he sighed. "Lisbon… Teresa…"

"I already cleared it with Abbot," she assured him, like _that_ was Jane's objection. "And Fisher's not happy, but I don't give a damn about that. I just spent the last half hour explaining to her why I was _sure_ you weren't a flight risk, why I was sure you wouldn't leave me hanging, not like bef… Anyway, it's all cleared with everyone."

"Lisbon…"

She ignored him. "I already packed you a bag," she babbled. "It's in the trunk. You have essentially no personal possessions, so it was easy. Plus, I could just steal the one you keep at work. So you should have everything you need."

"Lisbon…"

"And I already called Tommy," she assured Jane earnestly. "He said it was fine. He and Annie are _expecting _you."

"Teresa," Jane said gently.

Something in his tone must have caught her attention because she actually pulled over and turned to look at him. "_Please, Jane_," she whispered.

The expression on her face surprised him. He'd been expecting stubbornness, but this was something else entirely.

She looked... vulnerable.

Lisbon swallowed, he eyes wide. "Last year was bad enough, when you were off alone in…" she paused. "And before, with Red John, and… I mean, I get it. But this year, this year, you don't have to… I mean, why did you even bother coming back if you were going to spend all your time alone? Do you really want that quiet Christmas you were describing earlier? In a city where you barely know anyone? Christmas is a time for friends and family."

And looking into her eyes (her almost always too honest eyes), Jane realized that he'd vastly overestimated how well she'd been adjusting to being around him, and how quickly she'd been dealing with the past two years and his leaving her. And he knew he couldn't do it to her again. Even if he'd wanted to.

"Think of it as my Christmas present," Lisbon added, obviously hoping to convince him.

And Jane smiled. "But then what will I do with your actual Christmas present?"

Lisbon smiled slightly, hope brightening in her eyes. "You got me a…"

"Of course I got you a Christmas present!" Jane grumbled. "So we'll have to stop off at the motel and get it. It's on the way."

Lisbon bit her lip. "When were you planning on giving it to me?" she asked curiously.

Jane shrugged. "I thought I'd drop it off later. After all, you weren't supposed to be flying out until god knows what time tomorrow morning."

Lisbon just laughed. "Change of travel plans."

He smiled back. "So it would seem."

He watched her as she turned the car towards his motel. "Lisbon," he said, poking her in the elbow to get her attention.

"Hm?"

She didn't turn towards him, but Jane knew she was paying attention. "Thank you.".

A muttered "Whatever," whatever was his only reply.

He grinned to himself as he stepped out of the car. "I'll only be a minute," he promised.

"Okay," Lisbon agreed.

Pausing for a moment just outside the car, Jane bent down to look at her. "If you'd asked me, I'd have said yes," he said gently.

Lisbon blinked at him, before taking a deep breath. "I wasn't willing to take that chance."

Jane nodded. "Okay."

He reached over and squeezed her hand. Because she apparently needed the reassurance. And if that was what she needed, Jane would give it to her. Just by being around.

Then he walked to his hotel room to grab her present and a few other things he knew were missing from the bag he kept at the office. This wasn't exactly how he'd expected to spend his Christmas, but he couldn't say he was disappointed.

Maybe Lisbon was onto something. Maybe after two years apart, this was exactly what they needed.

xxx

The flight to Washington was relatively uneventful, even if the airport was a zoo. Jane let Lisbon and her constant efficiency lead him through the crowds, and when the people started to grate on her, he distracted her with stories, of his past, of his time in South America, of anything he could think of.

Lisbon had booked them rooms in a nearby hotel, but Jane knew they'd end up spending most of their time at Tommy and Annie's house. The next few days were a blur of decorating, alternating between watching Christmas specials and sports in the Lisbon living room, card games (during which Jane taught Annie a few tricks, much to Lisbon's chagrin), cooking and quite a lot of bickering between the Lisbon siblings.

Lisbon was obviously having the time of her life.

Jane found he was enjoying just watching it.

Except that he wasn't being allowed to just watch. He had to join right in. Neither Lisbon nor Annie would allow anything else. Earlier today he'd somehow found himself up to his elbows in flour and trying to make shortbread without any clear idea of how it had happened.

Even Tommy had been more welcoming than Jane had been expecting (though he suspected that had more to do with big sister's influence than Jane's own merits). Eventually the two men had come to an understanding. Or, well, Tommy had approached Jane on the front porch in the evening and casually informed him that if he ever hurt Lisbon again that no one would ever find his body. Jane figured Tommy's position was only fair.

Christmas itself was what most Christmases tend to be (most Christmases if you aren't on the run, alone in a strange country where everyone speaks a different language than you). Christmas with the Lisbons seemed to be all about an overabundance of presents, food and healthy debate.

Jane smiled as he glanced at the woman curled up across the room listening to her bother and her niece bicker about the best way to activate a new cell phone.

She was even wearing his gift. Lisbon had loved her shawl. Jane remembered seeing it one day, in one of the little shops by the beach and immediately thought of her. It was all golds and oranges and reds, and he'd just _known_ it was hers. It was currently draped around her shoulders, in lovely contrast to her hair. Jane had actually picked up a few things for Lisbon over the two years he'd been in South America. Little things. Shells, stones, figurines, just things that reminded him of her. He'd always meant to give some of them. What better time than Christmas?

She had a few of them back on her bedside table at the hotel (Annie now had a few on the kitchen counter as well).

Jane was glad Lisbon liked her shawl. He'd figured she would, but it was nice to have one's presents appreciated.

Besides, at this point, retuning it would be next to impossible.

Speaking of presents being appreciated, Jane had certainly appreciated the three matching sets of wool socks he'd received from each member of the Lisbon clan.

(He'd tried to remember the last time he'd been the target of an inside joke, before giving up because the answer would have been too depressing.)

The big surprise though, had been Lisbon's second gift.

A teal teacup, so very like the one that had been smashed over two years earlier.

He stared at her in shock.

She'd just smiled at him. "Turns out you can have pretty much anything specially made."

Jane was drinking from said tea cup at the moment. A really quite nice cup of Earl Grey.

He smiled. He was full and he was warm and he was content.

And sitting here in Tommy's kitchen, this was the best Christmas Jane had had in well over a decade. He glanced over at the woman responsible.

Lisbon was still watching her brother and niece indulgently. Jane fell to watching her. Her demeanour, the way the lights twinkled red and green behind her, her soft little smile.

And Jane knew there was one very important thing left undone. One gift left to be given. One need left to be addressed (or at least to start addressing).

He stood up and walked over to her. Holding out a hand, he waited until she took it before pulling her to her feet.

Before she could ask him what the hell he was doing, he wrapped his arms around her.

She relaxed into the hug almost immediately.

Jane smiled, letting himself enjoy the feel of her in his arms for a moment before angling his lips closer to her ear to whisper his little secret. "I came back because I wanted to see you, Teresa."

He felt more than heard her soft gasp. "Oh."

He shifted closer. "I'm won't leave you again," he murmured. "And if I ever do have to go, because of extenuating circumstances, I'll talk to you first, even if it's just a vacation. I'll give you some warning."

Lisbon just hugged him tighter.

"Thank you," he whispered. It was inadequate, but he thought she might understand.

She did. She pulled back slightly, smiling. "Merry Christmas Jane."

"Merry Christmas Lisbon," he replied. "Thank you for letting me spend it with you."

This time, her smile lit up her face.

And with the lights from the tree in the corner flashing red and green behind her, Jane figured things were pretty much perfect.

It was good to be home.

And this time, if he had anything to say about it, he was here to stay.

(He couldn't wait to prove it to her.)

xxx

The end


End file.
